truths' 


IN  RELATION  TO  THE 


NEW  YORK  &  ERIE  RAILROAD, 


WHICH  EVERY  CITIZEN  OF  THE 


CITY  OF  NEW  YORK 


OUGHT  TO  READ. 




1842. 


NEW  YORK: 

PRINTED  AT  THE  STANDARD  OFFICE, 
NO.    2    WALL  STREET. 

1842. 


To  D.  0.  Macomber,  Esq. 

General  Agent  of  the  New  YorJf  and  Erie  Railroad, 

Sir, 

The  subjoined  statements  relative  to  internal 
improvements,  particularly  the  New  York  and  Erie  Rail- 
road, showing  the  bearing  of  the  same  on  the  interests 
of  the  citizens  of  New  York,  as  a  commercial  emporium, 
I  have  prepared  with  much  care, 1  from  sources  deemed 
authentic.  They  are  respectfully  submitted  for  the  con- 
sideration of  the  Stockholders  of  your  Company,  and  of 
the  people  of  this  city. 

Your  obedient  Servant, 

EDWIN  WILLIAMS, 
Compiler  of  the 

New  York  Annual  Register, 
New  York,  Jan.,  1842. 


BRIEF  FACTS 


IN  RELATION  TO 


THE  NEW  YORK  AND  ERIE  RAILROAD. 


Chartered  in   1832 

Organized  in       -----       -  1835 

Loan  Law  passed  in    -       -       -       -       -  1836 

Loan  Law  modified  in         -  1838 

Again  modified  in  -       -       -       -  1840 


Whole  length  of  the  road  when  finished  from 

Tappan  to  Dunkirk,  446  miles. 
The  entire  road  is  under  contract. 
Now  finished  and  in  operation,  46  miles,  from 

Tappan  to  Goshen. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  more  can  be 

finished  in  1842. 
Amount  already  expended  on  whole  work,  $4,500,000 
Amount  necessary  to  finish  the  road  for  single 

track,       -       -       -       -  -  4,500,000 

Of  this  the  southern  counties  will  furnish,  1,500,000 
Required  of  the  City  and  State  of  New  York,  3,000,000 
Up  to  the  first  day  of  November  last,  there 
were  over  5,000  men  employed  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  work.    The  number  now 
employed  is  not  less  than  2,000. 
Amount  that  has  been  paid  by  the  11  coun- 
ties on  the  fine  of  the  road,        -       -  1,000,000 


4 


Amount  that  has  been  paid  by  New  York  and 

Brooklyn,  $442,000 

Amount  of  value  of  the  productions  of  the 
southern  line  of  counties  during  the  past 
year,  $22,000,000 


POPULATION. 

The  following  is  the  population,  by  the  census  of  1840, 
of  the  counties  through  which  the  N.  Y.  and  Erie  Rail- 
road passes,  with  that  of  the  adjacent  counties  in  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  : — 
Counties  in  New  York. 


POPULATION. 


Rockland, 

Orange, 

Sullivan, 

Delaware, 

Broome, 

Tioga, 

Chemung, 

Steuben, 

Allegany, 

Cattaraugus, 

Chautauque, 


11,975 
50,739 
15,629 
35,396 
22,338 
20,527 
20,732 
46,138 
40,975 
28,872 
47,975 


341,296 
Counties  adjacent. 
Chenango,  40,778 
Cortland,  24,605 
Tompkins,  38,113 
Yates,  20,442 
Parts  of  otLCo's,  142,147 


Total  popula.,  607,381 
Cos.inNJcr--) 
sey  y  Penn.  )  9 


Total, 


774,484 


o 

a  a 
bj)— 

a  ^ 

'3d  3 


is 


83  9 
■r  o 


Counties  in  New  Jersey. 

POPULATION. 

Bergen,  13,223 

Sussex,  21,770 

Pennsylvania. 

Pike,  3,832 

Wayne,  11,848 

Susquehanna,  21,195 
Bradford, 


Tioga, 

Potter, 

McKean, 

Warren, 

Erie, 


32,769 
15,498 
3,371 
2,975 
9,278 
31,344 


Total,  167,103 

Assessed  value  of  real 
and  personal  estate  in 
N.  York  Counties  here 
enumerated,  in  1840, 
$84,000,358. 

Population  of 

City  of  N.York,  312,710 

City  Brooklyn,  36,233 


5 


The  population  of  the  counties  traversed  by  the  Erie 
Canal,  and  counties  and  parts  of  counties  adjacent,  is 
710,000,  (including  the  city  of  Albany.) 

The  population  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts  is 
737,699. 


ESTIMATED  RECEIPTS  OF  THE  RAILROAD. 

The  following  statement  shows  the  actual  receipts  in 
one  year,  for  freight  and  passengers  on  several  of  the  most 
important  Railroads  in  the  United  States.  The  expenses 
of  these  Roads  will  average  about  forty  per  cent,  an- 
nually on  the  receipts.  If  we  estimate  the  anual  receipts 
of  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad — 446  miles  in  length, 
when  completed — to  average  the  same  per  mile  as  either 
of  these  Railroads,  the  following  will  be  the  result : — 


Railroads. 

Length. 

Estimate  in  pre* 
Annual     portion  far  N.  Y. 
Receipts,     and  Erie  R.  R. 

Utica  and  Schenectady. 

7S 

$400,700 

12, 301,436 

Utica  and  Syracuse, 

53 

251,200 

2.1-25.200 

Mohawk  and  Hudson, 

16 

150,500 

4,214,000 

Camden  and  Amboy, 

92 

685,300 

3,337,150 

Boston  and  Lowell, 

26 

231,575 

3,936,775 

Boston  and  Worcester, 

Ui 

267.547 

2,675,470 

Boston  and  Providence, 

41 

202,601 

2,228,611 

Baltimore  and  Ohio, 

S3 

433,000 

2,165,000 

Baltimore  andPhiladelphia,  93 

490,500 

2,207,250 

N.  J.,  (Jersev  to  Bruns'k, 

31 

203,100 

2,944,950 

The  average  receipts  of  the  above  ten  railroads,  would 

produce  on  a  Road  of  the  length  of  the  New  York  and 
Erie  Railroad  (446  miles,),  $2,313,5S4 
deduct  for  expenses  40  per  cent.,  1,125,434 


producing  a  nett  income  of 
1* 


$1,6S3,150 


6 


equal  to  seventeen  and  a  half  per  cent,  on  the  cost  (of  nine 
millions  of  Dollars,)  or  deducting  six  per  cent,  on  the 
State  Loan  of  three  millions,  ($180,000)  and  we  have 
Twenty-five  per  cent,  to  divide  among  the  Stockhold- 
ers of  the  remaining  six  millions  of  Dollars. 

It  is  believed  that  neither  of  the  above  Railroads  are 
as  favorably  located  for  a  profitable  business,  as  the 
New  York  and  Erie  Railroad.  The  Utica  and  Sche- 
nectady Railroad  is  prohibited  by  law  from  carrying 
freight,  which  will  be  the  principal  source  of  income  of 
the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad. 


The  following  is  from  the  New  York  Courier  and  En- 
quirer of  January  11,  1842. 

New  York  amd  Erie  Railroad  as  an  investment. — There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Stock  of  this  Company  will  prove 
as  an  investment,  among  the  most  profitable  in  the  Uni- 
ted States.  How  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  when  it  will  con- 
nect the  Mississippi  valley,  by  the  Allegany  River  and 
Lake  Erie,  with  the  port  of  New  York.  But,  that  our 
readers  may  see  what  other  roads  are  doing,  most  of  them 
in  less  favorable  positions  than  the  Erie  Railroad,  we  give 
the  returns  of  sundry  Railroads  for  one  year.  These 
returns  were  made  about  two  years  ago,  since  when  they 
have  much  improved. 

Returns  of  Railroads  for  1839. 

Length.  Receipts.  Expenses. 

Philadelphia  &  Baltimore,  97  $490,635  $169,130 

Camden  &  Amboy,            61  685,329  358,043 

Utica  and  Syracuse,             51  197,023  65,647 

Utica  and  Schenectady,      78  400,671  119,630 


7 


Boston  and  Lowell, 

25? 

$241,229 

$92,151 

Boston  and  Providence, 

41 

312,907 

93,562 

Boston  and  Worcester, 

44J 

231,807 

126,384 

Efmtprn    imporriTHPtp  \ 

j-iLioLv^iiij  i        yji.li  ij±\s  Lt^,  i 

25 

ftQ  1  74. 

Taunton  branch, 

11 

58,018 

40,611 

Nashua  and  Lowell, 

14J 

55,053 

20,885 

450£ 

$2,799,186  $ 

51,048,318 

1,048,318 

Nett  profits,  $1,750,868 

Cost  of  the  above  Railroads,  $16,164,505.  The  nett 
annual  profits  are  therefore  nearly  11  per  cent. 

The  estimated  cost  of  the  N.  York  and  Erie  Railroad, 
which  will  be  446  miles  in  length,  equal  in  the  aggregate 
to  all  of  the  above  roads,  is  $9,000,000 ;  consequently, 
if  the  nett  profits  annually  only  average  the  same  as  the 
above  roads,  the  income  will  be  nearly  Twenty,  per 
cent,  on  the  whole  cost.  But  three  millions  are  borrow- 
ed on  the  credit  of  the  State  of  New  York,  on  which  only 
Six  per  cent,  is  to  be  paid.  The  dividend,  therefore,  on 
$6,000,000  capital,  (deducting  interest  on  the  State  loan, 
$180,000)  will  be  over  Twenty-six  per  cent. 


PRODUCTIONS  OF  THE  ELEVEN  RAILROAD 
COUNTIES. 

Statistics  of  the  southern  tier  of  counties,  in  New 
York,  viz : — Rockland,  Orange,  Sullivan,  Delaware, 
Broome,  Tioga,  Chemung,  Steuben,  Allegany,  Catta- 
raugus and  Chautauque,  by  the  U.  S.  census  of  1840. 


AGRICULTURE.  Value. 

No.  of  Horses  and  Mules,  72,552  $3,627,600 

Do    Neat  Cattle,  409,249  4,910,92S 


8 


No.  of  Sheep, 

710,579  $1,421,158 

Do  Swine, 

270,319 

810,957 

Value  of  Poultry, 

215,528 

Bushels  of  Wheat  raised  in  1839,  1,399,771. 

1,399,771 

Do  Barley, 

118, 2o8 

70,954 

Do  Uats, 

2,981,  /18 

592,344 

jjo  i^yej 

C  O  A    K.  A  f\ 

217,274 

Do  Buckwheat, 

470,  /7o 

235,388 

Do       Indian  Corn, 

1,3^9,551 

809,730 

Pounds  of  Wool, 

1,598,147 

479,444 

Bushels  of  Potatoes, 

4,772,850 

954,570 

Tons  of  Hay, 

564,550 

3,387,300 

Pounds  of  Maple  Sugar, 

3,1)11,996 

150,599 

Value  of  Products  of  the  Daily, 

1,851,945 

Do           of  Orchards, 

321,069 

Total, 

$21,456,519 

Products  of  the  Forest. 

Value  of  Lumber  produced, 

$1647,039 

Tons  of  Pot  and  Pearl  Ashes, 

1,200 

Cords  of  Wood  sold 

114,518 

Principal  Manufactures. 

Total  capital  invested  in  Manufactures,  $5,498,068 

Sides  of  Sole  Leather  tanned,  234,770 

Do    Upper  Leather,  77,885 

Number  of  Sawmills,  1,829 

Value  of  Machinery  made,  $95,040 

Do     Woollen  Manufactures,  $46S,322 

Do     Cotton            do  $398,000 

Do     Sundry  other  Manufactures,  $625,514 

Tons  of  Bar  Iron  manufactured,  42,000 


9 


MASSACHUSETTS  RAILROADS. 
The  following  are  the  last  annual  returns  we  have  re- 
ceived of  six  of  the  Massachusetts  Railroads,  showing 
the  receipts  from  passengers  and  freight,  and  the  expen- 
ses of  the  roads  for  the  same  years. 

Receipts  from  } 
Railroads.  Lgth     Pass'gers.       Freight.  \  Exnenses. 

Boston  &  Lowell,      26m.$127,008  $104,567  $91,400 

Boston  &  Providence,41      134,851      67,947  143,127 

Boston  &  Worcester,  44£    170,855      96,692  140,441 

Lowell  &  Nashua,     14£      35,794     46,849  52,532 

Eastern(from  Boston)  60      164,971      18,326  85,793 

Taunton,                  11       40,910      17,108  44,671 


Total— 197  $674,389  $351,489  $557,964 
The  population  accommodated  by  the  above  Rail- 
roads, is  less  than  one-half  of  that  which  will  be  depen- 
dent on  the  N.  Y.  &  Erie  Railroad  for  trade  and  travel. 
The  length,  however,  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  Rail- 
road being  446  miles,  the  following  is  the  proportion  of 
annual  receipts  from  passengers  and  freight,  compared 
with  the  above  roads.  In  this  calculation  no  allowance 
is  made  for  the  trade  and  travel  from  Lake  Erie  and  the 
Ohio  valley. 

Receipts  for  freight  on  446  miles,  $790,850 
Do.         Passengers,  1,517,375 


$2,308,225 

♦Expenses,  (much  too  large,  but  in  propor- 
tion to  the  above  roads,)  1,252,919 

Nett  profits  of  Erie  Railroad,  $1,055,306 
Interest  on  State  Loan,  (of  $3,000,000,)  180,000 

To  be  divided  am'g  stockholders  of  $6,000,000  $875,306 
or  over  14  per  cent. 

*  These  expenses  will  not  exceed  40  per  cent,  on  the  receipts. 


10 


Westen  Railroad  of  Massachusetts. 
This  Railroad,  constructed  by  the  funds  raised  by  the 
citizens  of  Boston,  and  those  of  the  State  along  the  line 
of  the  road,  also  by  a  State  Loan  of  about  four  millions 
of  dollars — extends  from  Worcester  to  West  Stockbridge 
1 17  miles,  connecting  on  the  east  with  the  Boston  and 
Worcester  Railroad,  44J  miles  long,  and  on  the  west 
with  the  Albany  and  West  Stockbridge  Railroad.  38 J 
miles  in  length,  making  200  miles  from  Boston  to  Albany, 
in  the  hands  of  three  joint  stock  companies.  The  fol- 
lowing from  the  Boston  Atlas,  since  the  completion  of 
the  Railroad,  shows  the  calculations  of  the  Bostonians 
on  the  Revenue  for  this  year,  of  the  Western  Rail- 
road alone,  117  miles  in  length,  which  is  but  little  more 
than  one-fourth  of  the  length  of  the  New  York  and  Erie 
Railroad. 

Revenue  of  the  Western  Railroad. 
An  intelligent  friend,  and  one  who  is  well  acquainted 
with  the  subject,  has  furnished  us  with  the  following  do- 
cument, showing  the  probable  income  of  this  magnificent 
public  work. 

Estimated  Nctt  Revenue  of  the  Western  Railroad  for  the 
year  1842,  in  case  said  Railroad  has  a  sufficiency  of  Cars 
and  Locomotives. 

Nett  amount,  after  deducting  Toll  to  the  Boston  and 
Worcester  Railroad,  and  after  deducting  all  other  ex- 
penses : — 

100,000  bbls.  Flour  for  the  Connecticut  Valley. 
100,000   «       "      «  Trade  centering  at  Worcester. 

20,000    "       "      "  West  of  Chester. 
780,000    "       "      "  Boston. 


1,000,000  barrels  at  15  cents  per  barrel,  nett 

profit  on  an  average,  $150,000 


11 


300,000  Through  Passengers,  being  500  each 

way,  per  day,  at  $1,50  each,  nett  profit,  450,000 
Way  Passengers  will  probably  equal,  in  profit, 
the  Through  Passengers  :  but  say  one-half 
as  much,  nett,  225,000 
50,000  Hides  to  Greene  county,  say  625  tons 
100,000  Sides  Leather,  back,  937J  " 

50,000  Hides  to  other  places,  at  or 

near  the  Road,  625  " 

100,000  Sides  Leather,  back,  937£  " 


At  $2  per  ton,  nett  profit  on  3125  tons  6,250 

100,000  Hogs,  dead  and  alive,  or  in  bbls.,  at 

50  cents  each,  nett  profit,  50,000 

20,000  Head  of  Cattle,  dead  or  alive,  or  in 

bbls.,  at  $1,25  each,  nett  profit,  25,000 

100,000  tons  Mdze.  up,  through  freight,  at  $2 

per  ton,  nett  profit,  200,000 

50,000  tons  way  freight,  of  articles  not  enu- 
merated, at  $1  per  ton,  nett  profit,  50,000 

2,000  tons  Wool  at  $3  per  ton,  nett  profit,  6,000 

10,000  bales  Cotton  at  50  cents  per  bale,  nett 

profit,  5,000 

6,250  tons  Salt  at  $1  per  ton,  nett  profit,  6,250 

30,000  tons  Boards  and  Scantling,  Shingles, 
Timber,  Staves,  and  other  Wood,  at  $1  per 

ton,  nett  profit,  30,000 

40,000  tons  Pig  Iron,  Marble,  Freestone, 
Grindstones,  Plaister  Paris,  Mica  Slate, 
Lime,  and  other  Stones,  at  $1  per  ton,  nett 

profit,  40,000 

1,000  tons  Fur  and  Peltry  at  $3  per  ton,  nett 

profit,  3,000 


12 


4,000  tons  Pot  and  Pearl  Ashes  at  $2  per  ton, 

nett  profit,  8,000 

5,000  tons  Cheese  at  $3  per  ton,  nett  profit,  15,000 
3,000  tons  Butter  and  Lard  at  $3  per  ton,  nett 

profit,  9,000 

10,000  tons  Coal  at  $1  per  ton,  nett  profit,  10,000 

20,000  tons  Wheat  at  $1  per  ton,  nett  profit,  20,000 
10,000  tons  Rye,  Corn,  Barle}^  and  other 

Grains,  at  SI  per  ton,  nett  profit,  10,000 
5,000  tons  Bran  and  Ship  Stuffs,  Peas,  Beans, 

and  Potatoes,  at  $1  per  ton,  nett  profit,  5,000 
500  tons  Clover  and  Grass  Seed,  Flax  Seed, 

and  Hops,  at  $3  per  ton,  nett  profit,  1,500 

3,000  tons  Furniture  at  $3  per  ton,  nett  profit,  9,000 

2,000  tons  Iron  Ware  at  $1  per  ton,  nett  profit,  2,000 
5,000  tons  Wooden  Ware  at  $1  per  ton,  nett 

profit,  5,000 

Estimated  Nett  Revenue  of  the  Western 

Railroad,  for  the  year  1842,  $1,341,000 
which,  on  its  cost,  $6,700,000,  is  20  per  cent,  per  ann. 

This  document  has  been  prepared  with  very  great  care. 
Any  one  who  will  examine  the  detail  of  the  Trade  on  the 
Erie  Canal,  during  1839  and  1S40,  (table  2  and  other  ta- 
bles of  Senate  Documents  No.  63  and  65  of  New  York 
Legislature  for  1840  and  1841,)  and  will  reflect  on  the 
fact  that  Massachusetts  is  the  best  market  to  sell  a  great 
amount  of  the  products  which  come  from  the  Canal,  and 
is  also  the  best  market  to  buy  the  goods  wanted  in  return  ; 
— any  one  who  will  reflect  that  the  West  produces,  almost 
spontaneously,  what  we  want,  and  desires  to  buy  our  man- 
ufactures, the  products  of  our  fisheries,  and  our  imports  ; 
any  one  who  looks  at  the  authentic  fact,  that  3000  passen- 
gers go  daily  between  New  York  city  and  Albany  during 


13 


eight  months  of  the  year,  and  who  further  reflects  thatWest- 
ern  New  York  and  the  whole  West  is  full  of  Yankees,  who- 
desire  to  visit  their  kindred,  and  to  have  their  visits  re- 
turned ;  any  one,  who  reflects  that  the  amount  paid  for 
freight  and  passage  on  the  Erie  Canal,  and  on  the  Rail- 
roads parallel  to  it,  exceeds  £5,000,000  annually,  and 
who  also  looks  at  the  fact,  that  the  Western  Railroad  is  a 
continuation  of  said  Canal  and  of  said  Railroad  ;  any  one, 
who  takes  up  the  present  document,  item  by  item,  and 
after  investigation,  sets  down  his  own  conclusions,  and 
then  foots  up  those  conclusions — will  come  to  a  result 
the  magnitude  of  which  may  astonish  him,  and  yet  fall 
far  short  of  sober  reality. 

Is  it  not,  then,  perfectly  natural  that  the  Western  Rail- 
road, like  the  Grand  Junction,  the  London  and  Birming- 
ham, and  other  long  lines  of  Railroads  in  Great  Britain, 
— and  like  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  long  lines  of  Rail- 
roads along  side  of  it, — should,  by  the  magnitude  of  its 
Nett  Revenue,  astonish  even  the  most  sanguine  ? 

ACTUAL  RETURNS  OF  THE  N.  Y.  AND  E.  R. 
Viz,  46  Miles  of  the  Eastern  Section. 

The  section  of  46  miles,  from  Piermont  on  the  North 
River,  to  Goshen  in  Orange  county,  was  put  in  operation 
on  the  23d  Sept.,  1841. 

The  following  are  the  returns  of  the  business  done  on 
the  road  from  that  time  to  1st  Jan.,  1842. 


Freight. 

Lbs. 

No.  of  Pass. 

23d  Sept  to  1st  Oct. 

6  days, 

322,112 

593 

1st  Oct.  to  1st  Nov. 

26  days, 

2,400,950 

3,711 

1st  Nov.  to  1st  Dec. 

26  days, 

4,814,645 

4,173 

1st  Dec.  to  1st  Jan. 

27  da}'S, 

4,019,812 

3,150 

Total, 

85  days, 

11,557,519 

11,627 

2 


14 


Estimating  the  yearly  income  of  the  rond  on  tlic  basis 
of  the  present  business  on  40  miles,  it  will  he  as  follows, 
Supposing  the  freight  and  passengers  to  be  carried  on  an 
average  half  the  length  of  the  road;  calling  the  number 
of  miles  in  operation  one-tenth  of  the  entire  length,  and 
the  time  above  stated,  one  (juarter  of  a  year. 

Freight,  231,150  tons  a  $4,50  $1,039,075 

Passengers,        40-3,080        a  $0,00  $2,790,480 


$3,S30,155 

Add  for  freight  and  passengers  west  of  ~) 

Dunkirk  and  the  Allegany  River — say  >  700,031 
20  per  cent.  )  

Total  annual  Receipts,  $4,590, ISO 


THE  WESTERN  TRADE. 
To  estimate  the  value  of  the  Western  trade  we  will 
only  ta.ke  the  business  done  on  the  Erie  Canal  and  its 
branches,  exclusive  of  the  Champlain  Canal.  The  tolls 
on  these  canals  amounted,  the  past  year,  in  round  num- 
bers, to  $1,9  L5, 090,  being  an  increase  of  about  $242,000 
over  the  tolls  of  1340.  The  number  of  tons  transported 
in  134 J  on  these  canals  was  as  follows  : — 

Ton?. 

Erie  C  mal,  S29,90J 
Bra  riches,  (exclu  sive  of  Cham- 
plain  Canal,  245,229)  340,857 

1170,817 

The  number  of  tons  coming  ftiom  'other  States  in 
134  ),  by  w  iv  pf^ufjTdo,  BI  i.ek  R  >ck,  and  Oswego,  was 
131  513,  and  the  number  of  tons  passing  to  olher  States 
on  the  canals  and  by -those  ports,  was  57, 297. 


15 


It  thus  appears  tint  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  pre- 
sent business  on  the  Erie  C.mal  and  branches  is  derived 
from  the  people  of  this  State;  while  the  trade  from  other 
States  is  annually  increasing,  and  adding  to  the  Canal 
revenues. 

The  tolls  on  the  Erie  Canal  and  branches 
in  1S40  were  $1,073,320 

The  Freight  paid  to  the  owners  of  boats, 
&c.  in  addition,  was  at  least  as  much  more,  1,073,329 


Amount  paid  for  Freight  and  Tolls,  S3, 340,040 

Of  which  the  people  of  the  State  of )  ^ 
New  York  paid  three  quarters,  )    v  '  ' 


SHIPPING  ON  LAKE  ERIE. 
The  following  statement  is  an  abstract  from  Lieut 
Col.  Kearney's  Report  in  1S39  : — 

Vessels  owned  at  and  sailing  from  Ports  on  Lake  Eric, 
Ships  4,  Brigs  8,  Schooners  and  Sloops  213. 
Total  vessels,  225      Tons,  17,988    Value,  SG5S,400 
Steamboats,      01        "     17,325       ;<  1,741,203 

Total,         2SG  35,313  $2,399,000 


ROUTE,  SURVEYS,  AND  RELATIONS  OF  THE 
NEW  YORK  AND  ERIE  RAILROAD. 

The  route  is,  in  all  respects,  most  eligible  for  a  work  of 
such  extent.  Proceeding  westwardly,  from  the  harbor 
of  New  York,  it  traverses  eleven  counties  within  this  Statet 
its  course  being  nearly  midway  between,  and  eighty  to 
one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  distant  from  the  Erie  Ca- 
nal, and  the  C  mals  which  extend  westward  from  Phila* 
delphia.    The  physical  character  of  the  country  precludes 


1G 


the  construction  of  any  rival  work  within  fifty  miles  or 
more  on  cither  side  ;  while  the  numerous  streams  and 
valleys  which  are  intersected,  afford  great  advantages  of 
access  to  adjacent  districts  on  the  right  and  left. 

The  road  will,  therefore,  naturally,  command  the  tra- 
vel and  tonnage  of  a  veiy  wide  and  extended  region,  com- 
prising twenty-five  or  thirty  thousand  square  miles,  and  a 
numerous  population,  besides  a  large  proportion  of  the 
travel  and  traffic  of  the  Lakes  and  Western  States. 

The  line,  moreover,  has  the  advantage  on  more  than 
three  quarters  of  the  whole  distance,  of  being  laid  in 
the  valleys  of  rivers,  and  other  considerable  streams,  as 
the  Ramapo,  the  Delaware,  the  Susquehanna,  the  Che- 
mung, the  Canisteo,  the  Genesee,  and  the  Allegany 
rivers,  and  their  tributaries,  where  the  grades  are  ex- 
tremely favorable,  and  the  soil  in  the  valleys  west  of  the 
Delaware,  adapted  to  the  use  of  piles. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  route  and  location  of  the 
road,  are  its  relations  to  other  avenues  and  sources  of 
travel  and  business. 

Under  this  head  it  is  obvious,  first  to  notice  its  rela- 
tion to  the  city  of  New  York,  the  great  mart  for  the  pro- 
ducts of  this  and  the  Western  States,  and  of  the  merchan- 
dize to  be  transported  in  return,  for  consumption  in  the 
interior;  where,  from  the  east  and  south,  the  great  lines  of 
travel  meet,  and  where  emigrants  and  other  passengers 
from  Europe,  for  the  most  part  make  their  landing  in  the 
country.  When  it  is  considered  that  the  road  extends, 
by  the  shortest  practicable  line,  from  this  city  to  Lake 
Erie;  that  it  is  designed  for  the  transport  of  heavy  ton- 
nage, as  well  as  of  passengers ;  that  it  will  be  open  for 
use  throughout  the  year,  that  the  plan  of  its  construc- 
tion will  render  it  competent  to  any  conceivable  amount 


17 


of  business,  and  that  passengers  rmy  with  safety  ha 
trail  sported  over  it  from  one  extremity  to  the  other,  in 
eighteen  or  twenty  hours.;  the  import. mee  of  its  connec- 
tion with  this  metropolis,  and  the  value  of  its  local  t  Meet* 
here.,  in  obviating  the  disadvantages  of  a  northern  climate, 
and  rendering  business  as  active,  and  supplies  as  cheap, 
in  the  winter  as  in  the  summer  months,  cannot  fail  to  be 
apparent. 

Tiie  pier,  which  extends  about  4030  feet  into  the  Hud- 
son, farms  a  safe  and  valuable  harbor,  in  connection  with 
abuad  mt  space  for  all  the  accommodations  of  a  depot  at 
Fiermont,  (or  Tappan,)  20  miles  fiom  this  cily. 

Proceeding  westwardly,  the  road  passes  through  tho 
valley  of  the  Ruriapo,  and  a  region  of  the  most  valuabla 
iron  ores,  and  divides  the  county  of  Orange  into  nearly 
equal  parts.  From  Goshen,  situate  near  the  centre  of  the* 
county,  railways  are  proposed  to  Ncwburgh,  distant  about 
twenty  miles ;  to  the  line  of  New  Jersey,  in  a  southwes- 
terly direction,  find  to  the  north,  through  Kingston,  Sau- 
gerties,  and  Catskill,  to  Albany  ;  of  which  the  two  foimer 
have  been  chartered.  Near  the  western  boundaiy  of 
Orange,  the  line  approaches  the  Delaware  river,  and  in- 
tersects the  Hudson  and  Delaware  Canal,  which  extends 
from  the  Hudson  river,  near  Kingston,  to  the  Anthracite* 

coal  beds  of  Pennsylvania. 

j 

In  Broame  county,  the  road  intersects  the  Chenango 
can  d,  which  extends  from  the  Erie  canal  at  Utica  to  the 
Susquehanna  river;  and  also  the  line  of  a  proposed 
railway  from  Utica  to  the  Susquehanna,  which  has  been 
chartered  and  surveyed \  and  another  from  Binghamton 
through  Cortland  and  Oaondaga.  counties,  to  Syracuse, 
and  thence  to  Lake  Ontario  at  O  wego,  which  has  been 
chartered,  and  which,  in  connection  with  this  road,  will 


13 


offer  the  most  direct  and  eligible  route  from  this  city  to 
Upper  Canada. 

At  Owego,  in  the  county  of  Tioga,  a  connection  oc- 
curs with  the  Ithaca  and  Owego  Rail  Road,  which  ex- 
tends from  the  Susquehanna  to  Cayuga  lake,  by  the 
navigation  of  which,  it  forms  an  important  route  from 
the  Erie  canal.  Near  Tioga  point,  a  connection  is  anti- 
cipated with  the  North  Branch  canal  in  Pennsylvania. 

In  the  county  of  Chemung,  the  road  intersects  the 
Chemung  canal  at  Elmira.  The  same  point  is  contem- 
plated as  the  termination  of  a  Railroad,  which  is  in  part 
constructed,  from  Williamsport  in  Pennsylvania,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  seventy-five  miles.  To  perfect  a  cbntinu- 
bus  line  of  Railways  from  Philadeiphia  to  Elmira,  and 
thence,  by  the  road  of  this  Company,  to  lake  Erie,  is  a 
principal  object  of  the  Williamsport  road.  The  distance 
from  Elmira  to  the  Hudson  at  Piermont,  supposing  the 
most  eligible  line  from  Binghamton  to  Deposit,  to  be  adopt- 
ed, is  two  hundred  and  fifty-two  miles.  The  interval 
between  Piermont  and  this  city  is  entitled  to  be  regarded 
only  as  a  ferry. 

Our  road,  to  say  nothing  of  its  uniform  character  and 
management,  or  of  the  preference  due  to  New  York  as  a 
market,  can  be  considered  in  no  hazard  of  a  diversion  of 
its  business  by  the  lines  in  Pennsylvania,  while  as  routes 
both  of  travel  and  transport  from  Philadelphia  to  Lake 
Erie,  and  for  the  conveyance  of  Coal  and  of  Iron  from 
the  district  north  of  Williamsport,  the  Pennsylvania 
works  will  be  largely  tributary  to  the  productiveness  of 
the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad. 

At  Corning,  in  the  county  of  Steuben,  the  railway, 
forty  miles  in  length,  from  Blossburgh  in  Pennsylvania, 
occupied  chiefly  in  the  transport  of  bituminous  coal,  ter- 


19 


minates  in  the  line  of  this  road ;  which  also,  at  the  same 
place,  intersects  a  navigable  feeder  of  the  Chemung  ca- 
nal. From  Painted  Post,  or  Erwin,  near  the  junction  of 
the  Canisteo  with  the  Conhocton  River,  a  railroad  is  pro- 
posed to  D3  connected  with  this,  extending  up  the  valley 
of  the  Conhocton  to  the  village  of  Bath,  and  thence  to 
the  Crooked  Lake. 

In  the  county  of  Allegany,  at  Cuba,  the  line  of  the 
road  crosses  the  Genesee  Valley  Canal,  which  extends 
from  the  Erie  Canal  at  Rochester,  to  the  Allegany  river, 
a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  seven  miles.  At  Hins- 
dale, in  Cattaraugus  county,  this  road  will  connect  with 
a  railroad  which  has  been  chartered,  extending  along  the 
valley  of  the  Ischua  to  Buffalo. 

The  line  passing  down  the  Olean  Creek,  in  the  county 
of  Cattaraugus,  approaches  the  Allegany  river,  along  the 
northerly  side  of  which  it  extends  about  thirty  miles. 
At  Olean  a  connection  will  be  formed  with  works,  to  be 
hereafter  constructed,  extending  thirty  miles  up  the  val- 
ley of  the  Allegany  to  valuable  beds  of  bituminous  coal. 

From  Olean  by  the  Allegany  river,  which  is  open  early 
in  March,  to  Pittsburgh,  is  a  steamboat  navigation  of  250 
miles,  and  thus  connecting  with  20,000  miles  of  river 
navigation  in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi. 

From  the  termination  at  Dunkirk,  on  the  shore  of  Lake 
Erie,  a  railroad  has  been  chartered  and  surveyed  to 
Buffalo,  forty-five  miles ;  and  another  is  proposed  in  the 
opposite  direction,  to  be  extended  along  the  southern 
shore  of  the  Lake,  into  the  State  of  Ohio  ;  from  the  East- 
ern border  of  which  State,  a  continuous  line  of  railroads 
has  been  chartered,  and  portions  of  it  constructed, 
through  Ohio,  Indiana,  Michigan,  and  Illinois,  to  the 
Mississippi,  opposite  to  St,  Louis,  to  be  intersected  in 


20 


Illinois,  by  a  route  from  the  city  of  Cairo,  at  the  junction 

of  the  O.i.o  ;m.l  Mississippi. 

Tl*e  h  irbor  of  IXmYirk  is  spi.eiou>  and  secure.    It  is 

open  earlier,  and  occasionally  some  \v,>eks  earlier  in  tho 

spring  anil  I  Iter  in  the  auluina  thai?  that  of  Bull.'ilo. 
Tli  1  f.)ll  jw'.irr  will  be  the  distance  from  the  city  of 

New  York  to  Cincinnati,  by  the  N.  Y.  &  Erie  Railroad 

and  other  works  now  in  progress. 

New  York  to  Piermont,  20  miles. 

N.  Y.  &  Eric  It  lilroad  to  Dunkirk,  446 
Dunkirk  to  Eric,  Pennsylvania,  45 
Erie  to  Cleveland,  90 
Cleveland  to  Sandusky,  GO 
Sandusky  to  Cincinnati,         »        21  L 

Total,  872  miles. 

This  distance  may  be  travelled,  when  the  chain  of 
railroads  is  complete,  in  4S  or  50  hours. 


STATEMENTS 
Stowing  the  importance  of  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad 
to  the  City  (/New  York. 

I. — Annual  Consumption  nf  C  mntry  Produce  in  the  City  of 
New  York. 

The  following  is  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  an- 
nual amount  of  sales  of  articles  of  country  produce  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  for  the  consumption  of  the  inhabi- 
tants : — 

Fresh  Beef,  $1,470,000 
"  Veal,  305,700 
"  Mutton  and  Lamb,  3:3-5,000 
H  Pork,  000,000 
Poultry,  Game,  Eggs,  &c.,  1,000,000 


21 


Salted  Beef,  Pork,  and  Hams,  1,200,000 

Vegetables  and  Fruit,  1,200,000 

Milk,  1,000,000 

Butter,  Cheese  and  Lard,  1,500,000 

Flour,  Meal  and  other  Bread  Stuffs,  3,000,000 

Hay  and  Oats,  750,000 
Fuel  (wood  and  coal)  exclusive  of  St'boat 

fuel  2,500,000 

Articles  not  enumerated,  580,000 


$15,500,000 

The  above  is  not  intended  to  include  building  mate- 
rials. 

The  number  of  buildings  in  the  city  in  1840,  was 
32,116,  viz:  Dwelling  houses,  16,45S ;  Dwellings  and 
Stores,  6,614 ;  Stores  and  Offices,  3,855 ;  other  build- 
ings, 5,189. 

The  opening  of  a  new  avenue  for  supplying  our  mar- 
kets, such  as  the  New  York  and  Erie  Railroad,  which 
passes  through  a  section  of  country  well  adapted  to  the 
furnishing  of  most  of  the  above  articles,  would  have  the 
effect  of  reducing  prices,  by  increasing  the  abundance 
of  supplies.  This  reduction  may  be  safely  estimated 
to  average  ten  per  cent,  on  the  above  amount,  thus  sav- 
ing annually  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  city,  a  million  and 
a  half  of  dollars. 

The  cost  for  driving  cattle  from  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Erie  to  the  City  of  New-York,  is  S10  per  head ;  time, 
five  or  six  weeks ;  the  loss  in  flesh  is  about  $6  per  head. 
Cattle  can  be  brought  to  the  city  on  the  N.  Y.  &  E.  R,  R. 
when  finished  for  S5  per  head  for  the  same  distance  as 
above,  in  thirty  hours,  without  the  loss  of  a  pound  in 
weight.  Saving  $11  per  head  ;  other  live  stock  in  pro* 
portion. 


22 


2. — Chionolog'cal  Table  rf  I  he  Assessed  Value  rf  Real  Es- 


tate  in  the  * 

:ihj  "f  Sew- Yo /7r,  for  a  serajs  of  years. 

Year,  IS  17 

-  Real  Estate,  $57T799,4^ 

1820 

52,0C2.S53 

182:3 

50  1^4  220 

1  S25 

53,425,395 

1>2^ 

77,130,830 

1  S)L 

9-3.710  4-5 

1333 

-      1U124  5!>6 

1834 

-  123,249,280 

1S:>G 

-  233,742,303 

IS:}!) 

-  106,040,134 

1S41 

-  136,347,246 

Increase  of  value  of  real  estate  in  this  city,  since  1S31, 
over  90  millions  of  dollars.  % 
Assessed  value  of  personal  estate  in  1S41,  $65,430,456 
"  "  1S33,  5-2,366,976 


Increase,— 13,064,480 
The  effect  of  internal  improvements  on  property  in 
this  city,  is  shown  by  the  above  ;  the  Erie  Canal  having 
been  opened  in  1S25,  and  the  Ohio  Canal  in  1S32. 


RAILROADS  TERMINATING  AT  ATLANTIC 
PORTS. 

The  f allowing  statement  shows  the  number  of  continu- 
ous miles  of  railroad,  now  in  operation  in  the  United 
States,  terminating  at  the  different  Atlantic  ports: — 


New -York, 
Piermont, 
Jersey  City 
Amboy, 
Brooklyn, 

Boston, 

Providence, 

Stonington, 

Norwich, 


1U  Miles. 
46 
119 
61 

40— 27S 

41 

47 

53 


New  Haven,  Miles  35 

B  .-id  Report,  73 

Philadelphia,  420 

Baltimore,  300 

Norfolk,  78 
Richm'd  &  Pet'sburg,  2S7 

Wilmington,  162 

Charleston,  312 

Savannah,  137 


23 


It  wiD  be  seen  from  llie  above,  how  much  remains  to 
be  clone  in  New-York,  to  place  this  city  on  an  equality 
with  other  Atlantic  cities  with  regard  to  Railroads. 
Lines  terminating  at  Boston,  720  miles, 

"  "         at  or  near  New-York,         278  " 

Difference  in  favor  of  Boston,  442  " 


NOW  READ  THE  FOLLOWING. 

The  number  of  voters  in  this  city  is  more  than  40,000, 
embracing  all  classes,  of  which  more  than  20,000  are 
interested  in  the  business  and  prosperity  of  New  York, 
and  can  afford  to  take  and  pay  for,  at  least,  one  share 
of  the  Stock,  ($100,  to  be  paid  by  small  instalments,)  to 
secure  the  immediate  construction  of  the  New  York  and 
Erie  Railroad.  You  are  fortunately  among  the  number 
who  are  thus  interested,  and  thus  able.  In  Boston,  no 
man*was  found,  however  humble,  if  owning  property  or 
engaged  in  business  of  any  kind,  who  was  unable  to  take 
a  share  in  the  Stock  of  the  road  leading  to  that  city. 

A  Committee  has  been  appointed  in  each  ward  to  re- 
ceive subscriptions  from  the  citizens,  and  you  are  now 
respectfully  and  earnestly  appealed  to,  to  call  upon  some 
of  the  Committee,  and  subscribe  for  one  or  more  shares, 
according  to  the  interest  you  have  in  the  accomplishment 
of  this  project. 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Dlrst  Old  York  Library 


